Free Consequences by Sasha Campbell

baby.” A proud grin curled his lips.
    My mouth hung open. “Y-Your baby?”
    He had the cutest smile. “Of course it’s mine. You told me Leon was impotent, so unless you’ve been making love to someone else, that seed growing inside you is mine.”
    I quickly shook my head. “Nope, you’re the only one.”
    He started shouting with joy. I couldn’t believe the way he was behaving like he had just landed another huge grant for the department.
    â€œYou’re not angry?”
    His eyebrows shot up. “Angry? Why would I be angry?”
    He was dumber than I thought. “Because we’re both married and I’m carrying your child?”
    He knew I was right, but that wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “Listen . . . my wife can’t have children. We’ve been trying for years and it just ain’t happening. You are about to give me the one thing I had always wanted, an heir. Someone to pass on the family name. You’re giving me the one thing she never could, and that means a lot to me.”
    This was turning out better than I thought imaginable. “But Leon thinks this baby is his. I don’t know how because he can’t ever stay hard enough for anything to happen, but he feels confident that he did enough.” Ooh, I was so good with the lying.
    â€œThen let him keep thinking that. In the meantime, I want you to take care of my baby growing inside of you, because I promise you that child will never want for anything.” He pressed his palm against my stomach and kept on grinning. “As soon as the time is right, I want us to be together.”
    I couldn’t believe how shit was working out for me. Here I was all set to lose him, and instead we were going to be closer than ever. Men could be some stupid something. But it was their stupidity that made me the smart woman I am today.
    Maybe now he would finally leave Charlotte. She is a breast cancer survivor, and Jrue refused to ask her for a divorce until he was absolutely certain her cancer was still in remission. Looks like it was time to hurry that shit up.
    â€œWhy don’t we have lunch and then we can run over to Jared’s and look at that ring you were wanting?” Jrue suggested. “Emeralds, right?”
    â€œReally?” Now I was excited too.
    â€œAbsolutely.” He leaned over and kissed my lips. “Anything for the mother of my child.”
    I was starting to like the way that sounded.

9
    Nikki
    â€œIs there something you need to be telling me?”
    Tristan sauntered into my office batting his eyelashes. There was nothing innocent about him. “Something like what?” He was looking everywhere but at me.
    I leaned across the desk. “That you’ve been messing around with Lorenzo?”
    One of his eyebrows went up and his mouth kind of hung open. “ Ohmygoodness! How did you know?”
    I rolled my eyes. “How do you think? For the last two weeks I’ve seen your car parked at the end of my block.”
    Tristan did one of those dramatic performances where he cupped his mouth and paced around the room mumbling, “Ohmygoodness!” like Sheneneh from Martin.
    â€œNikki, I’m not lying. I had no idea he worked at the shop with Donovan until he asked me to meet him. I knew the address sounded familiar. It wasn’t until I pulled onto your street that I finally put it together. Girl, I was floored! You just don’t know how badly I’ve been wanting to say something to you, but Lorenzo swore me to secrecy,” he added, then flopped down in the chair beside me and crossed his legs.
    I still couldn’t believe Lorenzo was on the down low, considering he was always talking loud in the shop about getting with some female. Now I knew what he had meant by “tapping that ass.” I sat back in my chair with a hard look and folded my arms. “You need to be careful with that one, because his wife,